Commercial vs. Residential Removals

To the layman the differences between commercial and residential removals may seem small. The processes of the physical packing and removal of equipment and furniture appear virtually identical. There are, however, some key differences that should be highlighted.

The first is often the scale. For a small commercial move, whether a small office or a small commercial shop, the volume of furniture and equipment to be moved is often no more than a small house. For larger corporations however, the commercial move can become a huge and complex logistical exercise. As such, a relocating company would look for a BAR accredited Commercial Mover to carry out the operation – it is not only the residential moving market that benefits from the BAR.

In fact, the BAR Commercial Moving Group (CMG) regroups over 40 member companies who provide commercial relocation services to the public and private sectors of the UK. All of these companies have specialist experience and a demonstrable track record of high quality UK and international relocations across a variety of market sectors.

Commercial removals are also highly dependent on location. Commercial real estate properties often have specific rules, requiring the use of different equipment and the adherence to strict timelines. Removals can be a disruptive process, and many commercial property owners will look to keep this disruption to a minimum.

Most important to a commercial move is planning. Unlike a residential move where you might just specify a particular room and rearrange the items later, a commercial move often requires an exact floor plan for the movers to adhere to.

Pre-moving preparation by the Commercial Mover will ensure that the new furniture is installed precisely where it needs to be. Buildings over several floors may require elevators and stairwells to be navigated and expensive or heavy equipment will need to be planned for well in advance to avoid any breakages or injuries. The more complicated the move, the more planning required.

A key point to note is that a commercial move isn’t just an office removals service. A great variety of relocation projects can be covered by the commercial term: this might refer to retail spaces and associated industrial mechanical moves, and public sector moves such as schools, hospitals or libraries.

There is arguably more variety in commercial removals than residential, and often more challenges to overcome in the way of bulky or fragile items. Any removals company that takes on a commercial removal needs to be of a supremely high quality and incredibly well organized. As a result of this, the expertise of Commercial Removals Professionals are in increasing demand.